The friendly skies of United Airlines have just gotten a little less friendly for some four-legged creatures.

This month, much to the disappointment of some pet owners, United Airlines confirmed its adoption of the Continental Airlines PetSafe program as the merger of the two carriers became official.

The PetSafe program, which had been in place for several years under Continental, is considered the best in the airline industry and has won an Award for Excellence from the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association.

But not everyone is happy with United’s policy that bans nine dog breeds from planes it considers “dangerous.” Breeds, or mixes, that have reached either 6 months of age or 20 pounds that are prohibited are: Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Presa Canario, Perro de Presa Canario, Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa (or Tosa Ken) and Ca de Bou.

Until the merger, United Airlines didn’t have any restrictions on these breeds.

Mary Ryan, spokeswoman for United, told FoxNews.com that the airline adopted the PetSafe Program because it was an overall superior product. "The PetSafe Program has more resources in place: a 24-hour dedicated desk, transportation for the animals."

But some pet owners say the ban is a discriminatory practice. Jessie Huart says she learned of the ban while trying to book a ticket to travel with her 10-year-old pit bull, Slaw. She started a petition at Change.org to encourage airline officials to remove the breed restriction in their dangerous dog policy.

“These types of policies are opposed by every major dog-related organization. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Animal Control Association argue that physical appearance isn’t an effective way to predict or address aggression,” the petition site says.

The airline’s policy was recently revised to eliminate the phrase "dangerous breeds," but the ban remains.

Another change in United policy was that the airline classified pets traveling in the cargo hold as cargo rather than checked luggage. That became a problem for some traveling with pets from certain countries, especially overseas American military families who were facing potentially large third-party freight fees.

Last week, under mounting pressure, United eased restrictions. "Because we share our customers’ concern that their pets’ flights are stress-free, we have enhanced our animal acceptance policy to transport pets as both baggage (accompanying a passenger on the same plane) and cargo,” it states on its website.

Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, of Paw Curious.com, told FoxNews.com that although United is the only airline that has a ban on certain breeds, all airlines reserve the right to turn away a dog on an individual basis if he or she appears ill or aggressive.

“The American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC, the ASPCA and the HSUS all agree that the visual appearance of a dog has no correlation to its propensity to display aggression.” Vogelsang told FoxNews.com. “I am fine with an airline making policy decisions based on evidence that are meant to keep the pet safe, but adamantly opposed to policies based on assumptions and fear that do nothing to help the pet or the owner. It certainly has nothing to do with the fact that these so called "dangerous" breeds are themselves more at risk when they travel.”

Traveling by air with animals, especially unique breeds, has never been easy. So what other options do you have with other airlines?

American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Northwest Airlines do not have any restrictions against specific breeds. Southwest and America West/US Airlines both will not ship live animals, but they will accept legitimate service dogs inside the cabin.

Melanie Monteiro, a dog safety expert and author of the “Safe Dog Handbook,” says no matter what your dog’s breed, travelers should keep in mind a few basics.

1.Your dog must be deemed in peak health by his/her vet prior to any flight. Underlying medical conditions are one of the leading causes of air travel-related illness or death in pets. The airline’s required veterinary health certificate will cover this.

2.Short-nosed breeds (i.e., boxers, bulldogs, pugs, bull mastiffs) are prone to respiratory problems and should not fly below cabin. Overweight and elderly dogs are also at risk.

3. Check kennel size and weight restrictions (which is the combined weight of the pet, PLUS the carrier) for your particular airline.

4. Ensure your pet’s kennel is in top condition with no loose latches. The kennel must be large enough for your pet to stand up, turn around and lay down in.

5. Allow extra time for check in when traveling with pets, and ensure your dog has had a nice long walk before the flight.

As far as booking a tough breed on United or any other carrier, pet owners are advised to always call the airlines first.

Transporting Pets:If you want to transport your dog or cat by air, Pet Airways is the safest way to fly your pet. Pets traveling on Pet Airways fly in the main cabin of our aircraft. Pets are continuously watched over by our On-Board Pet Attendants. Our Pet Lounges are pet–friendly, of course, and all our team are pet professionals.

Whether you are shipping a dog that has been rescued, need to move your dog to another city, flying your new puppy home, or just want to vacation with your cat or travel with your dog, Pet Airways is dedicated to making pet transportation safe and comfortable for your pet.

Fly with your pet. If your pet is small and under 20lbs, you can fly with your pet by putting it under your seat. If your pet is too large, your pet flies in cargo hold.

Ship your pet, just like you ship a package. You take your pet to the cargo department of the airline, and your dog or cat are transported just just like they transport all their packages, in the cargo hold.

Hire a Pet Shipper. Pet Shippers provide the convenience of taking and picking up your pet from the cargo department of the airlines. Your pet flies in the cargo hold.

Transport your pet with Pet Airways the one and only pet airline. Our pets are "pawsengers" and we treat them with TLC throughout the pet travel experience.

So, if you are travelling with your dog, moving with your cat across the country, taking a vacation with your pet, transporting a pet to grandma for a visit, Pet Airways is the pet-only airline, where the pet safety is our most important job. All we do is fly pets, safely.

Vienna, 16th May 2009

The special commission set up by the Austrian Home Office in 2006 has carried out the most extensive investigation operation since the founding of Austria’s 2nd Republic against the animal advocacy movement. In this political move to wipe out legitimate work on behalf of animals, VGT has been particularly severely hit.

The political background to this case can be shown clearly by the following points:

Although legally obliged to present all evidence showing an accused person’s innocence, police have omitted all such findings from their final reports. This includes results of DNA tests, tracking devices, surveillance, bugging operations and under cover agents, as well as the existence of concrete alibis. These things are simply not mentioned. It is as if they never took place.

On 24 February 2009 a judge ruled that police were no longer allowed to restrict those accused having access to their complete files. Following this ruling the special commission completed the final reports even though the investigations have not been formally closed. Why? The law states that once final reports have been submitted it is permissible to restrict access to files and this is exactly what the police have now done! The police are fully prepared to undermine and ignore a court ruling.

In minutes from one of the special commission’s meetings from 19 June 2008 it is detailed how those present discuss how best to destroy VGT: taking away the organisation’s charity status is what they come up with. Without having charitable status VGT would have to pay tax on all donations over the last years, effectively financially destroying the organisation. And just this has happened: On 30 April this year police started actions to have VGT’s charitable status taken away.

In an internal report form the special commission dated 23. 1. 2008 it is documented that, from now on all information stands and events to do with animal protection “regardless of the topic“ are to be visibly heavily policed through out the whole country with the aim to “give the public the impression that animal campaigners are extremely dangerous”.

As a medium-term solution the commission orderd that all targets of information stands, for example, fur shops “are to be protected by a 100 m distance between information stand and shop”. This effectively prohibits any information stands within a 100 m radius, although there have never been any problems or aggression which could justify such a move. The head of the commission proudly announced these measures which totally contravene the right of assembly law: “The militant animal campaigners throughout the whole of Austria will experience resistance from the National Security Agency for the first time”.

The special commission has collected an extensive DNA database on campaigners. In a file dated 2 July 2007 it states that plain clothed officers stole bottles of drink from campaigners at information stands in order to have them DNA tested. Similarly, cutlery and plates were taken during the raid on the VGT office for DNA analysis. No legal authorisation was given for these procedures.

Green MP Peter Pilz was given access to confidential police documents in connection with this case. Peter Pilz exposed these documents on his website http://www.peterpilz.at. The documents show not only that police advised the animal protection movement’s political opponents how to represent themselves to the media, and recommended measures they could take against legal animal protection actions, but also that the head of Vienna’s Police Force was instructed to “utilize all administrative possibilities to stop information stands and protests taking place“.

VGT’s DDr Martin Balluch commented: “With these documents we can prove that the police allowed themselves to be used as a political instrument, carrying out politically influenced measures, which were in part unlawful, in order to attack the animal advocacy movement. This is an alarm signal for democracy. With today’s action here in front of the Home Office we call on all citizens and especially all those in positions of responsibility to ensure that the police be held to account for their actions and that we bring Austria back to being a constitutional state”.

If you live outside of Austria please write to the Austrian Minister of the Interior asking her to bring an end to the repression of Austrian NGO work on behalf of animals. You can see a sample letter/e-mail and find her address here:http://www.vgt.at/presse/news/2009/news20090421m_en.php

Misuse of Law Crushes NGOs

Austrian animal advocates gathered this week on the steps of the Ministry of Justice to symbolize the misuse of Austrian Mafia law 278a crushing free speech and legitimate NGO work.

The final police reports in this case leave absolutely no doubt that classic NGO-work is being criminalised. Be it school talks on animal rights, founding new groups, negotiating with companies and running legal campaigns, as well as animal rights conferences, investigations into animal abuse, actions of civil disobedience and computer encryption.

25 activists were being squashed by giant “§ 278a”-symbols directly in front of the ministry of justice, where in the coming weeks it will be decided whether charges will be brought against the animal activists for forming a criminal organisation or not.

Between 25-40% of abused women are unable to escape their situations because they are worried about their animals, either pets or livestock. Finally, smart, caring folks have noted this fact and change is beginning. Nationally, an increasing number of shelters for abused women have added kennels and created foster care programs in effect.

Statistics compiled by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence show that:

53% child, spouse, and elder abuse are linked to animal abandonment and neglect.

71% of pet-owning women who enter a shelter reported that their batterer threatened, injured, maimed, or killed the family pets for revenge.

68% of abused women reported abuse toward their pets.

As stated above 28-40% of abused women stay in their abuse situations because they fear for the safety of their animals.

This is a cause that hits close to home for hawaiipetphotos.com. A person who seeks to control and manipulate another human by threatening our most innocent and trusting furry friends is the lowest life-form imaginable. Kudos to those states that have begun to pass laws that protect the animals and in turn these human victims!

The movement aims to include animals in the moral community by putting the basic interests of non-human animals on an equal footing with the basic interests of human beings. A basic interest would be, for example, not being made to suffer pain on behalf of other individual human or non-human animals. The aim is to remove animals from the sphere of property and to award them personhood; that is, to see them awarded legal rights to protect their basic interests.

“Who are we that we have set ourselves up on this pedestal and we believe that we have a right take from others everything—including their life—simply because we want to do it? Shouldn’t we stop and think for a second that maybe they are just others like us? Other nations, other individuals, other cultures. Just others. Not sub-human, but just different from being human.”

Liberationists argue that animals appear to have value in law only in relation to their usefulness or benefit to their owners, and are awarded no intrinsic value whatsoever. In the United States, for example, state and federal laws formulate the rules for the treatment of animals in terms of their status as property. Liberationists point out that Texas Animal Cruelty Laws apply only to pets living under the custody of human beings and exclude birds, deer, rabbits, squirrels, and other wild animals not owned by humans, ignoring that juridiction for such creatures comes under the domain of state wildlife officers. The U.S.Animal Welfare Act excludes “pet stores … state and country fairs, livestock shows, rodeos, purebred dog and cat shows, and any fairs or exhibitions intended to advance agricultural arts and sciences.” There is no mention in the law that such activities already fall under the jurisdiction of state agriculture departments. The Department of Agriculture interprets the Act as also excluding cold-blooded animals, and warm-blooded animals not “used for research, teaching, testing, experimentation … exhibition purposes, or as a pet, [and] farm animals used for food, fiber, or production purposes”.

Regarding the campaign to change the status of animals as property, the movement has seen success in several countries. Switzerland passed legislation in 1992 recognizing non-human animals as beings, not things. The German Civil Code had been amended correspondingly two years earlier. In 2002, the words “and animals” were added to the constitutional clause obliging the German state to protect the “natural living conditions”, which has been regarded as a milestone in the development of the legal status of animals in Germany. The amendment, however, has not had much impact in German legal practice yet. The greatest success has certainly been the granting of basic rights to five great ape species in New Zealand in 1999. Their use is now forbidden in research, testing or teaching.

The Seattle-based Great Ape Project (GAP) — founded by Australian philosopher Peter Singer, the author of Animal Liberation, widely regarded as the “bible” of the animal liberation movement — is campaigning for the United Nations to adopt its Declaration on Great Apes, which would see chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orang-utans included in a “community of equals” with human beings. The declaration wants to extend to the non-human apes the protection of three basic interests: the right to life, the protection of individual liberty, and the prohibition of torture. The New Zealand success is partly ascribed to GAP´s activity.

Trying to shed its reputation as “The Puppy Mill Capital of the East,” the Pennsylvania Legislature on Wednesday night passed HB 2525, a bill that will improve the lives of tens of thousands of dogs living in Pennsylvania’s puppy mills.

Introduced in May, HB 2525 doubles the cage space required for dogs in Pennsylvania’s commercial breeding facilities, prohibits wire flooring and the stacking of cages, mandates exercise and twice-yearly veterinary exams for all dogs, and requires that animals be humanely euthanized by licensed veterinarians.

The ASPCA has been working with the Governor’s Office and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for over three years to increase enforcement and standards of care for dogs in the state’s commercial kennels. We lobbied for passage of HB 2525 by activating the Pennsylvania members of the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade and by spending much of the past several months in Harrisburg, the state capital, promoting the bill to legislators. Governor Ed Rendell signed HB 2525 into law the day after it was passed.

Animal activists clad in nothing but their underwear and red paint to emulate the blood of animals protested against the torture and slaying of animals to make fur clothing in Buenos Aires in June 2008.

Activists clad in underwear with red body paint protest against the use of fur in
Buenos Aires June 25 2008. Photo Reuters

In a previous nude demonstration, PETA protesters say that animals are anally electrocuted, gassed, or their necks are broken and skinned alive just for the sake of fashion. “In this day and age there is no excuse for fur when there are so many alternatives.”

The AnimaNaturalis organization — an international animal activist group — says, “Nowadays it is not necessary to kill animals to get their fur. Animals need their fur, we don’t.”

A group of “bleeding” women lie during a demonstration in Buenos Aires June 25, 2008.
Photo AFP / Juan Mabromata / Getty Images

Group of “bleeding” people lie in Buenos Aires on June 25, 2008.
Photo AFP / Juan Mabromata / Getty Images

The organization equates the human use of animals for their fur to the murder of millions of people by National Socialist Germany, stating, “The word ‘holocaust’ can be applied to the animal holocaust as well as to the Jews, without diminishing the importance of the latter.”

“The comparison is valid from the moment that both are seized and placed in cages (concentration camps). Both are tortured and die of hunger as it frequently happens to egg-laying chickens. Both are finally murdered.”

More than 150 nude protesters made headlines in Barcelona Spain on January 27 this year in a silent demonstration to denounce the use of animals to make fur coats that was organized by AnimaNaturalis, which has staged similar protests in Mexico, Ecuador and Argentina.

Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, June 25, 2008. Photo Xinhua

Buenos Aires, June 25, 2008. Photo Reuters

Buenos Aires, June 25, 2008. Photo Reuters

The protest took place at exactly noon just as worshipers were arriving for Mass. Worshipers found themselves greeted to a throng of protesters curled up fetal style, and covered in what was meant to appear as blood on the steps of the Saint Eulalia Cathedral.

In a scene reminiscent of a bloodbath, the number of protesters involved in the “Nude against Fur” demonstration was to symbolize the average number of animals it takes to make 1 fur coat, they laid on the steps of the Gothic Cathedral in Barcelona city center that bears the name of a young virgin martyr of Roman times.

Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 25, 2008. Photo Xinhua

Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 25, 2008. Photo Reuters

Barcelona, Spain January 31 2008. Photo Lohasian

The event was also to call attention to the fact that Spain, together with Greece, Germany and Italy are key manufacturers of fur coats according to the animal rights group AnimaNaturalis.

A spokesman for the group said the Cathedral steps were a natural place because many people chose to wear fur to church and the nearby Opera house Liceu.

The protesters displayed placards saying “How many lives does it take to make a coat?”

A press release cited, “Millions of fox, mink, nutria, lynx, beavers, chinchillas, and other species are raised in captivity or cruelly trapped in order to strip them of the fur that they need. Nothing justifies the use of animal skins.”

AnimaNaturalis also opposes Hispanic customs such as bullfighting, dog fights and cockfights.

Barcelona, Spain January 31 2008. Photo Lohasian

Barcelona, Spain January 31 2008. Photo Lohasian

Protesters covered in red paint to resemble blood, on steps of the
Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, Barcelona. Photo AFP

Nudity has a tradition in Barcelona of political and religious purposes that pre-dates modern animal rights activists. Saint Eulalia is the co-patroness of Barcelona and the Cathedral of Barcelona, as well as sailors.

Legend has it that the young Eulalia was exposed naked in a public square during the 4th century A.D. persecution of early Christians by the emperor Diocletian, when a miraculous snowfall covered the martyr’s nudity.

Enraged by the miracle, her Roman torturers placed Eulalia in a barrel studded inside with blades and rolled it down a street (now known as ‘Baixada de Santa Eulalia’) to her death.

Buried in the cathedral crypt, her feast day is February 12th. A hymn was written for the Saint in Visigothic times, which was preserved by the Mozarabic Rite of southern Spain.

Thousands of pet cats in Beijing were abandoned by their owners and sent to die in secretive government pounds as China mounted their aggressive drive to clean up the capital in preparation for the Olympic Games.

Hundreds of cats a day were being rounded and crammed into cages so small they couldn’t even turn around.

Then they were trucked to what animal welfare groups described as death camps on the edges of the city.

The cull comes in the wake of a government campaign warning of the diseases cats carry and ordering residents to help clear the streets of them. (How convenient that it should come at this time).

Doomed: Terrified cats crammed tightly into cages are hauled off to a meat market in Guangzhou

Cat owners, terrified by the disease warning, were dumping their pets in the streets to be picked up by special collection teams.

Paranoia was so intense that six stray cats -including two pregnant females – were beaten to death with sticks by teachers at a Beijing kindergarten, who feared they might pass illnesses to the children. Makes you wonder what else goes on in those schools, doesn’t it?

China’s leaders say they are convinced that animals pose a serious urban health risk and may have contributed to the outbreak of SARS – a deadly respiratory virus back in 2003, or at they least are giving that impression.

But the crackdown on cats is seen by animal campaigners as just one of a number of extreme measures being taken by communist leaders to ensure that its capital appears clean, green and welcoming during the Olympics.

Secretive: The compound at Da Niu Fang which is patrolled by security guards

Polluting factories in and around the city are being ordered to shut down or relocate during the Games to ease Beijing’s choking smog and drivers are allowed out on to the roads only three times a week, and as we know people’s driving has been curtailed since this article was originally written.

Fares on the city’s underground network have been cut to just two yuan (14p) for any journey – a six-fold reduction on some routes – to keep people off buses, and beggars and street sleepers have been moved to out-of-town camps or given train fares back to their home provinces.

Meanwhile, taxi drivers have been made to attend lessons in how to greet passengers politely in English and a city-wide courtesy campaign has been launched to teach Beijing’s notoriously dour and grumpy citizens how to smile and be pleasant to foreigners.

The cull of Beijing’s estimated 500,000 cat population is certain to provoke international outrage coming just over a year after the Chinese were criticised for rounding up and killing stray dogs across the country.

Refuge: Campaigner Hu Yuan, 80, with some of the 250 cats she has taken in at her Beijing home

Animal welfare groups in China are already protesting, but their members fear punishment from the authorities.

Officials say people can adopt animals from the 12 cat pounds set up around the city, but welfare groups have said they are almost impossible to get inside and believe few cats survive.

One cat lovers’ group negotiated the release of 30 pets from one of the compounds in Shahe, north-west Beijing, but said they were in such a pitiful condition that half of them died within days of their release.

“These cats are being left to die. It is very inhumane,” said the group’s founder Yan Qi, who runs a sanctuary for cats.

A rescued pet showing clear signs of disease…

“People don’t want to keep cats in Beijing any more so they abandon them or send them to the compounds.

“When we went inside, we saw about 70 cats being kept in cages stacked one on top of the other in two tiny rooms.

“Disease spreads quickly among them and they die slowly in agony and distress. The government won’t even do the cats the kindness of giving them lethal injections when they become sick. They just wait for them to die.

“It is the abandoned pets that suffer the most and die the soonest. They relied so much on their owners that they can’t cope with the new environment.

“Most refuse to eat or drink and get sick more quickly than the feral cats.”

Ms. Yan’s group has now been denied access to the pounds. “We do not believe any of the cats that go in there survive,” she said. “They are like death camps.”

Ms. Yan said there was another reason for people abandoning their cats – the 200 yuan (£14) fee they face if they want to have their pets neutered and tagged.

“We have tried to negotiate with the government to stop the round-ups and to introduce cut-price neutering services so that people can afford to keep their pets but they won’t listen to us,” she said.

“They are not thinking about the cats. They just want to get results in the quickest way possible, by clearing as many cats from the city as they can.”

Retired doctor Hu Yuan, 80, runs one of the few remaining refuges for abandoned pets in her ramshackle home in the ancient Long Tou Jing area of Beijing.

She shares her tiny home with 250 abandoned cats and has taken in 70 over the past 12 months alone.

She pays for neutering and food from her pension and donations. She said: “If I don’t take them in, the government will kill them.

“People believe what the government tells them and that is why they are abandoning more and more family pets.”

She said the problem could be traced back to former president Jiang Zemin for the crackdown.

“He didn’t like dogs so he decided to have dogs killed. But there was a bad reaction from the foreign media and they were pressured to stop.

“Now they have stopped killing dogs but the new victims are cats. It is all connected to the Olympics.”

Cats are regularly dumped on her doorstep late at night by owners frightened by the government campaign.

“The situation is very bad now,” said Ms Hu. “When women get pregnant, the doctor will ask them if they have a cat in the house.

“If they reply Yes, they tell them, ‘You must get rid of it, it will be bad for the baby’.

“I keep all the cats in my house and 100 of them sleep in my bedroom at night. I am too frightened to let them out. If they go outside, they will be taken away and killed.

“The government is not telling people the truth. Look at me. I live with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week and I am very healthy.”

The round-up has been particularly intense in areas around Olympic venues and in streets and alleys surrounding five-star hotels where guests will stay during the summer games.

Despite the health warnings, the round-up of cats has led to a surge in the number of restaurants in the capital serving cat meat, according to Ms Hu.

She said hundreds of cats were also being sent to Guangzhou in southern China, an area infamous for restaurants that serve meat from cats and dogs and exotic animals such as snakes and tigers.

It was in July last year that district officials were instructed to begin an intense round-up of cats as part of Beijing’s pre-Olympics clean-up. Now notices have been put up urging residents to hand in cats.

Welfare groups estimate that tens of thousands have been collected in the past few months.

The Mail went to the cat pound in Shahe on the north-western fringes of Beijing but we were repeatedly refused admission.

“No one can come in without official papers,” staff shouted from behind padlocked steel gates.

At another, larger compound in Da Niu Fang village, the sound of cats wailing could be clearly heard coming from a cluster of tin-roofed sheds, but workers denied they were holding any cats.

“There are no cats here, go away. No one is allowed inside unless you have official permission,” a security guard said.

The killing of the six stray cats at the kindergarten – where staff at a Beijing cigarette factory leave their children – is the most striking illustration of the city-wide fear of cats.

A teacher at the nursery said: “We did it out of love for the children. We were worried the cats might harm them. These six cats had been hanging around the kindergarten looking for food. (Certainly not the kind of people I’d want watching my children!)

“So three male teachers put out plates of tuna in cages for bait, trapped the cats and then beat them to death with sticks.

“We were very worried the children might try to stroke them and that the cats might scratch them or pass on diseases. We had to get rid of the cats and this was the only way to do it.”

Christie Yang of the charity Animals Asia, which liaises with the Beijing animal welfare groups, said: “We are seriously concerned.

“We understand that with the Olympic Games the Beijing government is eager to show the world the city in a good light.

“But capturing and dealing with cats in such an inhumane way will seriously tarnish the image of Beijing and the Games.”

• Names of the animal campaigners have been changed as the people we interviewed are concerned about officials’ reaction to our story.

Source: SIMON PERRY, TheMail

I’m sure there aren’t any tours to these compounds!! Many people feel that China should never have been awarded these games and many feel we should have boycotted them. Let us hope that since China was given this honor before they changed their policies on issues like human rights, personal freedoms and animal rights, to mention just a few, that they grow from the experience and contact with the world and ‘pay it forward’. We can only hope… plus keep a watchful eye and increase the pressure to do so.

Just this evening (08.14.08) I watched a group of foreign correspondents in China covering the Olympics ask the spokespeople for the International Olympic Committee if they were embarrassed by China’s lack of compliance with the committee’s requests and China’s promises before being awarded the games. The the Committee spokespeople did everything in their power to avoid answering the question. Marion Algier, JustOneMorePet~

As the Olympics with their spectacular venues, always inspiring events and amazing performances by all the athletes involved, are dancing in front of our eyes nightly, if not 24/7 for the next two weeks, I thought it as a good time to remember that although China has come a long way, they still have a long way to go in many areas, including animal rights. So, I started writing about Dog & Cat Meat temporarily being taken off the menus in Beijing’s restaurants, when I came across the following article written about a month ago. I couldn’t have said it better myself, so have decided to share it instead. Thanks, Deborah!! Let us hope that the Chinese might be inspired to live up to their ‘One World Dream’ after being afforded the opportunity to host the Olympics without living up to many of the standards and promises that went with that honor. Pay it forward China… and you can start by leaving Dog and Cat meat off your menus!! Marion Algier – Just One More Pet~

With concerns of offending sensitivities of Western visitors and animal rights groups for next month’s Olympics and September’s Paralympics, Beijing’s Food Safety Office has issued a directive forbidding 112 restaurants and hotels from selling man’s best friend — dog meat to be specific (as well as cat meat) — on menus for the duration of the Olympics.

Warning, some images and content may be deemed highly offensive. As a passionate dog lover, this puppy’s intentions were meant to instill the realities and horrors [to some] of certain cultures taking place not only in China, but other areas as well for the sale and consumption of dog meat as a delicacy.

Dog meat — commonly known as ‘fragment meat’ in the area — is not traditional food fare in northern China, but it is a regular menu item in the large number of Korean restaurants in Beijing.

And in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Jiangsu, dog meat has recently become the latest trend for hip Beijingers. Fried “long dog tails” are a treat in many areas of China, “as long as all the hair is removed,” usually burning off if deep fried.

It’s become a popular delicacy in the country believed by many Chinese to be an effective element to lower high blood pressure, and said to have warming qualities in winter, hardly an issue in a scorching Beijing August.

The Chinese have eaten dog for 7,000 years , farming them for their meat even today. But dog is less popular these days because of the high feeding costs. Young dogs are preferred because the meat is softer.

The directive ordered Olympic contractor hotels not to provide any dishes made with dog meat, advocating all restaurants serving dog suspend it during the Olympics, and said any canine material used in traditional medicated diets must be clearly labeled. Many have been strongly advised to suspend serving it up to September.

Designated restaurants for the ban which are caught selling dog meat will be blacklisted by the association, but the punishment was not specified.

“We had a notice from the city restaurant association.” said a spokesman for Huatian Cold Noodles, a Korean restaurant chain which has a contract to provide Olympic catering. “We usually have about 20 dog meat dishes on our menu. It will certainly have an effect on our sales.”

One restaurant was claiming to know nothing about the ban yesterday. “If it applies to us, the effect will be huge.” said a member of staff at Dog Meat King, a small, specialist purveyor. “If we get an order like that, I have no idea what we would do.”

The move is part of efforts “to respect the dining customs of different countries” and also aimed at heading off protests by animal rights groups. It’s unclear whether other delicacies including donkey and horse will be kept off the menu for the Games.

Criticism from Westerners caused the dog meat-loving South Koreans to ban canine dishes for a period of time during the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Dog Meat Customs
In some countries, apart from being kept as pets, certain breeds of dogs are raised on farms and slaughtered for their meat. Some eat it as an alternative source of meat or for specific medicinal benefits attributed to various parts of a dog.

In parts of the world where dogs are kept as pets, people generally consider the use of dogs for food to be a social taboo.

Though the consumption of dog meat is generally viewed as taboo in Western culture, some Westerners support the right to eat dog meat and accuse other Westerners who protest against dog eating in other countries of cultural imperialism and intolerance.

Cultural attitudes, legalities, and history regarding eating dog meat varies from country to country with very little statistical information available.

China
Dog meat has been a source of food in parts of China from at least the time of Confucius, and possibly even before. Ancient writings from the Zhou Dynasty referred to the “3 beasts” which were bred for food including pig, goat, and dog. Dog meat is sometimes euphemistically called “fragment meat” or “mutton of the earth.”

During a hard season when the food store was depleted in the past, dogs were occasionally slaughtered as an emergency food supply. Today it’s consumed for its perceived medicinal value of increasing the positive energy for the body (the yang), and helping to regulate blood circulation. Due to this belief, people eat dog meat in the winter to help to keep themselves warm. Others don’t eat it, believing it will overheat the body.

Contrary to some popular beliefs, the Chinese only eat dogs raised specifically for meat, not those raised as pets. They’re allegedly slaughtered between 6 and 12 months of age because of their size at that age, and for desirability of the meat.

Despite being a socially acceptable practice, the average Chinese don’t usually eat dog meat since it’s relatively expensive compared to other meats, being generally more accessible to affluent Chinese. 300,000 dogs are killed in the county annually, much of the meat being processed into stew for export across China and Korea.

The Chinese typically cook the dog meat by stewing it with thick gravy or by roasting it. One method of preparing the dog carcass is by immersion in boiling water, allowing the skin to be peeled off in one pull.

Some controversy has emerged about the treatment of dogs in China not because of the consumption itself, but because of other factors like cruelty involved with the killing including allegations that animals are skinned while still alive.

In recent years, Chinese people are increasingly changing their attitude towards eating it from personal choice to unnecessary cruelty. A growing movement against consumption of cat and dog meat has gained attention from people in mainland China which began about 2 years after the formation of the Chinese Companion Animal Protection Network.

CCAPN began organizing well-publicized protests against dog and cat eating in January 2006, starting in Guangzhou, following up in more than 10 other cities “with very optimal response from public.”

Some Chinese restaurants in the United States serve “imitation dog meat” which is usually pulled pork, flavored to taste like dog meat.

According to the recent documentary TV from BBC, Tibetan monks in China also eat dog meat.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, a local ordinance dating from British colonial times which has been retained after the handover to Chinese sovereignty prohibits the slaughter of any dog or cat for use as food, with penalties of fines and imprisonment. Four local men were sentenced to 30 days imprisonment in December 2006 for having slaughtered 2 dogs.

Apart from this, a large proportion of people are currently against the consumption of dog meat.

Korea
Gaegogi — “dog meat” in Korean — is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, bosintang. Since 1984, selling dog meat has been illegal in South Korea. Dog meat manufacturing and processing are not allo

The consumption of dog meat can be traced back many centuries. Dog bones were excavated in a Neolithic settlement in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. One of the wall paintings in the Goguryeo tombs complex in South Hwangghae Province, a UNESCO World Heritage site which dates from 4th century AD, depicts a slaughtered dog in a storehouse.

Use of dogs for meat and the methods of slaughter used have generated friction between dog lovers, both Western and Korean, and people who eat dogs.

Today in Korea, a segment of the population eat bosintang (literally “invigorating soup”), believing it to have medicinal properties, particularly for virility. Dog meat is also believed to keep a person cool during the intense Korean summer.

Many Korean Buddhists consider eating meat an offense, which includes dog meat. Unlike beef, pork, or poultry, dog meat has no legal status as food in South Korea. Some in South Korea and abroad believe that dog meat should be legalized so that only authorized preparers can deal with the meat in more humane and sanitary ways, while others think that the practice should be banned by law.

In recent years, more and more Korean people changed their attitude towards eating dog meat from personal choice to unnecessary cruelty.

Japan
For Korean people in Japan, China is the only exporter of dog meat to Japan and exported 31 tons in 2006. Dog meat is available in Korean towns such as Tsuruhashi, Osaka and Okubo, and Tokyo.

Indonesia
In Indonesia, the consumption of dog meat is usually associated with the Minahasa, a Christian ethnic group in northern Sulawesi, and Batak tribe of Northern Sumatra who consider dog meat to be a festive dish and usually reserve it for special occasions like weddings and Christmas.

Taiwan
Eating dogs has never been commonplace in Taiwan, but it is eaten in the winter months, particularly black dogs, which are believed to help retain body warmth. In 2004, the Taiwanese government imposed a ban on the sale of dog meat, due to both pressure from domestic animal welfare groups and a desire to improve international perceptions.

According to Lonely Planet’s Taiwan guide, it’s still possible to find dog meat on some restaurant menus, but becoming increasingly rare.

Vietnam
Dog meat is consumed throughout Vietnam to varying degrees of acceptability, though more predominantly in the north. Many dishes feature dog meat, often including the head, feet and internal organs.

Groups of male customers spend their evenings seated on mats sharing plates of dog meat and drinking alcohol as a form of ‘male bonding.’ They believe it to raise the libido, considering it unsuitable for women, although it’s not uncommon for women to eat dog meat.

The consumption of dog meat can be part of a ritual usually occurring toward the end of the lunar month for reasons of astrology and luck. Restaurants which mainly exist to serve dog meat only open for the last half of the lunar month.

Germany
Dog meat has been eaten in every major German crisis at least since the time of Frederick the Great, commonly referred to as “blockade mutton.”

In the early 20th century, consumption of dog meat in Germany was common, but since 1986 dog meat has been prohibited.

Switzerland
According to the November 21, 1996, edition of the Swiss newspaper Rheintaler Bote, the rural Swiss cantons of Appenzell and St. Gallen are known to have had a tradition of eating dogs, curing dog meat into jerky and sausages, as well as using the lard for medicinal purposes.

Dog sausage and smoked dog jerky remains a staple in the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Appenzell, where one farmer was quoted in a regional weekly newspaper as saying that “meat from dogs is the healthiest of all. It has shorter fibers than cow meat, has no hormones like veal, no antibiotics like pork.”

The production of food from dog meat, however, is illegal in Switzerland.

Canada
Consumption of dog meat is taboo in mainstream Canadian culture, but it may be practiced by some cultural minorities. In 2003, health inspectors discovered 4 frozen canine carcasses in the freezer of a Chinese restaurant in Edmonton.

The Edmonton health inspector consequently said that it’s not illegal to sell and eat the meat of dogs and other canines, as long as the meat has been inspected. The 4 canine carcasses were actually found to be coyotes.

Under Canada’s Wildlife Act, it’s illegal to sell meat from any wild species. There is no law against selling and serving canine meat, including dogs, but it must be killed and gutted in front of federal inspectors

United States
It’s considered a social taboo to eat dogs in the United States. Under California Penal Code, it’s a misdemeanor to possess, import into, or export from the state, sell, buy, give away, or accept any animal traditionally or commonly kept as a pet or companion with the intent of killing or having another person kill that animal for the purpose of using or having another person use any part of the animal for food.

Save a Life…Adopt Just One More…Pet!

Everyday we read or hear another story about pets and other animals being abandoned in record numbers while at the same time we regularly hear about crazy new rules and laws being passed limiting the amount of pets that people may have, even down to one or two… or worse yet, none.

Nobody is promoting hoarding pets or animals, but at a time when there are more pets and animals of all types being abandoned or being taken to shelters already bursting at the seams, there is nothing crazier than legislating away the ability of willing adoptive families to take in just one more pet!!

Our goal is to raise awareness and help find homes for all pets and animals that need one by helping to match them with loving families and positive situations. Our goal is also to help fight the trend of unfavorable legislation and rules in an attempt to stop unnecessary Euthenization!!

“All over the world, major universities are researching the therapeutic value of pets in our society and the number of hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and mental institutions which are employing full-time pet therapists and animals is increasing daily.” ~ Betty White, American Actress, Animal Activist, and Author of Pet Love

There is always room for Just One More Pet. So if you have room in your home and room in your heart… Adopt Just One More! If you live in an area that promotes unreasonable limitations on pets… fight the good fight and help change the rules and legislation…

Save the Life of Just One More…Animal!

Recent and Seasonal Shots

As I have been fighting Cancer… A battle I am gratefully winning, my furkids have not left my side. They have been a large part of my recovery!! Ask Marion

Photos by the UCLA Shutterbug are protected by copyright, Please email at JustOneMorePet@gmail.com or find us on twitter @JustOneMorePet for permission to duplicate for commerical purposes or to purchase photos.

By JoAnn, Marion, and Tim Algier This past week, we lost our dear family member Rocky who had just outlived his “huep – na-napbdad”, Tom, by just a few months. His perspective would have been interesting!! Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been […]

By JoAnn, Marion, and Tim Algier This past week, we lost a dear family member, Rocky, who had just outlived his “human pet-dad”, Tom, by just a few months. It certainly would have been interesting to know what they thought and what experiences they had had in common!! Just this side of heaven is a […]

Bristol Palin: Fellow SixSeeds blogger Zeke Pipher has a great question: If they were dead puppy parts, or parts from homosexual babies, or babies that self-identified as adults, it’d be a different story. Meaning, it would be a story. But as it is, the fact that these fetuses don’t look like puppies, and their sexual […]

Family and friends of G.R. Gordon-Ross watch his private fireworks show at the Youth Sports Complex in Lawrence, Kan., Friday, June 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) Mercury News – Originally posted on July 02, 2013: The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Hot dogs, potato salad and, of course, fireworks. But Independence […]

Very few dogs have the experience of being parents these days and especially seeing their litters through the process of weaning and then actually being able to remain part of a pack with at least part of their family. Apachi is our Doggie Dad. He is a Chiweenie and here he is is watching his […]

By Marion Algier – Just One More Pet (JOMP) – Cross-Posted at AskMarion Anderson Cooper met Chaser, a dog who can identify over a thousand toys, and because of whom, scientists are now studying the brain of man’s best friend. Chaser is also the subject of a book: Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog […]

By Tamara – Dog Heirs – Cross-Posted at JOMP Quebec, Canada – Animals will be considered “sentient beings” instead of property in a bill tabled in the Canadian province of Quebec. The legislation states that "animals are not things. They are sentient beings and have biological needs." Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis proposed the bill and […] […]

Flickr Photos

Meta

Great Book for Children and Pet Lovers… And a Perfect Holiday Gift

One More Pet
Emily loves animals so much that she can’t resist bringing them home. When a local farmer feels under the weather, she is only too eager to “feed the lambs, milk the cows and brush the rams.” The farmer is so grateful for Emily’s help that he gives her a giant egg... Can you guess what happens after that? The rhythmic verse begs to be read aloud, and the lively pictures will delight children as they watch Emily’s collection of pets get bigger and bigger.

If You Were Stranded On An Island…

A recent national survey revealed just how much Americans love their companion animals. When respondents were asked whether they’d like to spend life stranded on a deserted island with either their spouse or their pet, over 60% said they would prefer their dog or cat for companionship!